The mood in the Airway Heights City Council chamber was celebratory at the council’s April 1 meeting, and not because of April Fool’s Day. The sole agenda item for the evening was the swearing in of the fire department’s new deputy chief of training Julius “Chooch” Vanis III, replacing former training chief Alex Turner who accepted a position with Spokane County Fire District 3 earlier this year.
Airway Heights Fire Chief Mitch Metzger took the lead at the swearing-in ceremony, describing the rigorous interview process candidates had gone through when applying for the position. Eighteen candidates from as far as Wisconsin and Indiana applied, with the top 12 coming to Washington for an in-depth skills assessment that involved creating and teaching a lesson plan.
Applicants were also required to teach a lesson on a subject not related to firefighting.